Hey NFL! Hey Players! Hey Press! Shut Up Already!

by Adam Schultz on Jun 30, 2011 10:01 AM EDT in Angry Rant

Talk about complete public ambivalence.

Ladies and gentlemen, according to the NFL and its many pundits, reporters, and writers, we are on the edge of a possible labor savior in a new CBA. Just two weeks ago, a resolution was claimed to be two weeks away. Two weeks later, DeMaurice Smith emerges from behind the rusty steel door of the negotiation bunker and grumbles "We're not close."

What the hell? Every sports site and non-sports site is reporting we're mega-super-razor-thin close to getting a new CBA ratified and then the former president and current representative of the players' interests just up and shouts "NOPE." Even a player close to the negotiations agreed a deal was close just a couple of weeks ago.

What gives? Why are the media and NFL administrator championing "SUCCESS!" while Smith is grumbling about failure? Who's confused? I see a lot of blank stares out there in the footbawwwwwlsphere.

So I offer this suggestion to both the NFL and its players and player reps: shut up. Just stop talking to the press. Ixnay alktingtay. Be quiet. Hush up. Zip it. Seal your lips.

It's gotten to the point of being akin to a school yard verbal scuffle at this point. Every time the NFL or the media pumps rays of sunshine and dreams of Roddy White catching a 100yard bomb from Matty Ice up our bums, Smith comes back and tosses in thoughts of a football-less Fall. It's like two kids arguing if something's so-and-so or not.

NFL: "IS SO!" Smith: "IS NOT!" NFL: "IS SO!" Smith: "IS NOT!"

Just shut up already. I don't give a crap if you think you're close or not. Just shut up and get back to work. Media, stop asking them if a deal is close or not. Stop taking random positive or negative comments from insiders. Just focus on Charlie Sheen or something.

The NFL fans have dealt with this for long enough. Don't get back to us until you've got news that is worthy of a headline. You know, a headline that might read "New CBA Ratified. NFL Season Back On." I'll take that over "NFL Says Labor Deal Close" and "Smith Says Labor Deal Not So Close" anyday. Don't give us any hyperbole, positive or negative. No tweets. No quotes. No bylines. No captions.

Just give us results.

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Comments

Amen

Ron Artest = Ron (sm)Artest - He Is The Most Interesting Man In The World

by JoshChildressAfroIsCure4Cancer on Jun 30, 2011 10:34 AM EDT reply actions

Herm Edwards needs to be in charge

by FLA_Falcon on Jun 30, 2011 10:47 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

Perfect follow to my piece

These guys sometimes seem like they’d be better at dealing with these things on the playground than in the boardroom.

by Dave Choate on Jun 30, 2011 10:55 AM EDT reply actions

I'll start the slow clap

great piece

by Mattyice318 on Jun 30, 2011 11:29 AM EDT reply actions

Anyone else feel used?

There may have been no football being played during the lockout, but the fans sure were.

De Smith did such a good job inciting his players against the NFL that several of them responded publicly with insults, open vitriol and disdain for the commissioner.

Now Smith is wining, dining and traveling with Goodell in a show of committed cooperation. Are Goodell and the owners he represents people to be trusted now, suddenly, or was most of it an overblown act by Smith throughout the entire process, to turn the players against the league and gain leverage in the process?

The outlook was so bleak a month ago, with both sides whining to the fans through the press about the hurtful actions & words of the other, I stopped rooting for either side and only dared to hope whenever there seemed to be any progress towards a new agreement from any source whatsoever.

Great article!

Keep the faith!

by Marima on Jun 30, 2011 11:55 AM EDT reply actions

well said

"My parents do a lot of things behind the scenes that go unnoticed"- Cam Newton, Heisman acceptance speech.

by TurnerTheBurner on Jun 30, 2011 12:25 PM EDT reply actions

I really, really hope that's how they're arguing.

Goodell: “This offer is fair and just!”

Smith: “Is not!”

Goodell: “Is so!”

Smith: “Is not!”

6 hours later…

Smith: “Is so!”

Goodell: “Is not!”

Sigh…wish they’d hurry up and get this over with!

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by Caleb Rutherford on Jun 30, 2011 1:12 PM EDT reply actions

Let's for a moment say a deal gets ratified this afternoon...

…(fantasy is a large part of my world). Six weeks of free agency is lost. The posturing between draftees/agents and teams has not been possible since April. If camps open on time, they will open with only a vague idea of the personnel their teams will be comprised of.

Or am I wrong?

How many more days, Lord, must I walk through the wilderness?
GO FALCONS!!

by AnOldBird on Jun 30, 2011 2:04 PM EDT reply actions

Falcons might be in good shape...

The key for our Falcons is going to be keeping our players here (i.e. OLs /OLBs and Snelling) in the (I’ve said it before) “play for less money and more championships” mentality that winning organizations seem to have. IF we could get Charles Johnson, then we will (IMO). But I am not expecting them to jump at DE as much as every thinks because they’re still high on Sidbury and I think they expect Cliff Matthews to make a huge splash, that kid is special! (and a very big sleeper also IMO). We also gave up two rookies (via the JJ trade) meaning two less rookies for coaches to polish. Also the players we did select are from very similar teams (in the ways of schemes-n-things) excluding Quizz but hes so versatile we dont have to worry about him changing from a one back offense to a pro style set.. not a HUGE change. Also they have big football IQs something that we’ve seen the past three years that looked almost alien to our Coaches and GMs an era or two ago. SO… the 6 weeks lost in FA might not hurt us, in fact it could help our chances of keeping our guys. The two less rookies who need to get to know our coaches almost seems to be another “IM A (SUBTLE) FRICKIN GENIOUS” move by Comrad Dimitroff. So I think our guys will be well off… Oh yeah it doesn’t hurt to have the best up-and-coming QB and MLB in the league metting with these guys telling them how to prepare. Yeah I think we should be in GREAT shape.

by falcolicmsudawg33 on Jun 30, 2011 3:15 PM EDT reply actions

It's not a strike

it’s a lockout. The owners changed the proposal. How do you blame DeMo for that? They’d agreed that the players would get 48% and then came back wanting half a billion off of the top again.

A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice.

by FrozenFinger on Jun 30, 2011 9:41 PM EDT reply actions

yep

The owners don’t want to settle.They keep moving the goal post.Its what they do.Right or wrong doesn’t matter here it’s what they do.The system is set up so that only a couple of owners could sabotage the whole thing.And they are i.e. The panthers owner Jerry richardson.

by JT131 on Jul 1, 2011 8:29 AM EDT up reply actions